Holidaymakers who recently visited the Magic Aqua Rock Gardens hotel in Benidorm have taken to TripAdvisor to voice their concerns over issues with the resort's food and cleanliness. One reviewer stated that the resort had such a strong smell of sewage on his last night at the Spanish hotel that it made him vomit, with other guests commenting on undercooked food being served in the hotel restaurants.

Magic Aqua Rock Gardens in Benidorm, Spain

Advertised by Jet2 and TUI-owned tour operator First Choice, the Magic Aqua Rock Gardens hotel in Spain is just a short walk from Benidorm's beaches and Aqualandia Water Park, making it a choice destination for families.

The resort offers an impressive outdoor pool area adorned with multiple water slides for the kids, and for adults, there's a rooftop 'chill-out' terrace which has a bar and whirlpool bath. There are 2 buffet restaurants housed in the hotel offering a range of international dishes to choose from.

Reviewers comment on undercooked food, sickness and hygiene issues

Magic Rock Aqua Gardens receives favourable reviews on TripAdvisor, with the hotel receiving a rating of 4 out of 5 based on 2,341 reviews at the time of writing. This is, however, not reflective of the reviews left by the following holidaymakers, with some reporting that they experienced problems with food poisoning, undercooked meals and concerns with hygiene.

In a review of their stay at the Magic Rock Aqua Gardens this October titled "Where to start", 'Bry M' states that while eating breakfast in the hotel's restaurant "the beans had mould in them" and that the rest of the food was "not very hot".

'Rachel P' left a review of her stay in September titled "Disaster", in which she points out issues with the hotel's preparation of meals and overall cleanliness. She says that "on 2 occasions [she] ended up with raw meat from the grill" and that her partner got food poisoning from consuming the hotel's seafood.

When 'Rachel P' informed the resort of this issue, she says that they simply stated "it wasn't possible" that the meals they ate were the cause of their illness, despite the fact she and her partner were all-inclusive guests and did not eat outside of the hotel during their stay.

'Rachel P' goes on to point out that the Jacuzzi in the hotel's 12th floor chill out area was "filthy".

'Vab1094' stated in his review of his stay in September, titled "Never again", that there was an "ongoing sewage smell from our hotel bathroom". 'Vab1094' explains that "despite speaking to reception on 2 occasions and logging a formal complaint, the matter was not sorted".

They go on to say that "all of [their holiday] party suffered [from] nausea" and that they also "suffered from severe vomiting on the last night".

'Laughton13', a reviewer from Northolt in the UK, left a brief review of their stay in September titled "Worst hotel", in which they comment that "the food was not very impressive", explaining that it was "either cold or not cooked through".

TripAdvisor user 'Marc H' left a review of his stay in August titled "Not a 4* hotel", in which he mentions issues with the food. 'Marc H' says that "the chicken/Turkey [was] barely cooked", stating that he experienced this issue on "5 different occasions". He stresses that future guests should "check the chicken before eating".

The reviewer also highlights some hygiene concerns, stating that the "sheets had what looks like wee stains on [them]" and "the walls in the room [had] dirt marks on [them]".

Undercooked food and bacterial infections

Consuming produce that has not been thoroughly cooked through, or that is still partially raw, can lead to food poisoning. A common result of food poisoning is Gastroenteritis. While one of the main causes of this condition is the consumption of infected produce, touching contaminated surfaces or objects can also lead to the spread of illness.

If you are suffering from food poisoning symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain and nausea, then it's important to see a medical practitioner such as a resort doctor or your GP as soon as possible. They may be able to take a stool sample which should assist in determining exactly what made you ill.

If you are on an all-inclusive package holiday and you suffer an illness you believe was directly caused by either the food or the conditions of the hotel, then it's worth notifying your hotel rep so that the issue can be addressed before anyone else gets ill.

You might be able to make a compensation claim

Having a holiday ruined by an illness can leave you feeling anything but relaxed when your return home, but if you were ill on an all-inclusive package holiday, then under The Package Travel Regulations 1992 you may have grounds for a claim.